Police chase anti-government protesters in Serbia as president pledges crackdown

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of anti-government protesters marched again in Serbia on Monday with baton-wielding riot police chasing them in downtown Belgrade, prompting Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic to reiterate his pledge of a planned major crackdown against the demonstrators.

The protest in the country's capital was peaceful until a group of young people, believed to be soccer hooligans, split from the crowd and hurled rocks at ruling party's downtown offices, breaking front windows.

The riot police soon appeared at the scene on armored trucks, dispersing the crowd and triggering a panicky escape by the crowd.

In a show of defiance, Vucic showed up at his party's damaged office, calling the protesters terrorists and saying that “soon, the citizens will be freed from this terror and evil.”

Vucic on Sunday announced tough measures against anti-government protesters following days of riots in the streets throughout Serbia that have challenged his increasingly autocratic rule in the Balkan country. On Monday, he reiterated his claims that months of persistent protests against his rule have been orchestrated in the West and aimed at destroying Serbia.

“Our country is in grave danger, they have jeopardized all our values, normal life, each individual,” Vucic said.

The stern warnings came after days of clashes between the protesters on one side and police and Vucic’s loyalists on the other. Angry protesters on Saturday evening torched Vucic’s governing Serbian Progressive Party offices in a town in western Serbia.

Vucic did not specify what the state response would be in the coming days. Scores of people have already been detained and injured in the past days while police have faced accusations of excessive force and arbitrary detentions of protesters.

The clashes last week marked a major escalation of violence following more than nine months of largely peaceful demonstrations that started after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Serbia’s north, killing 16 people.

Many in Serbia blamed the tragedy on alleged widespread corruption in state-run infrastructure projects. Vucic has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms while allowing organized crime and corruption to flourish, which he denies.

Serbia is formally seeking European Union membership, but Vucic has maintained strong ties with both Russia and China.

Serbian gendarmerie officers chase protesters during an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian gendarmerie officers chase protesters during an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian gendarmerie officers chase protesters during an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian gendarmerie officers chase protesters during an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian gendarmerie officers chase protesters during an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)